WO2019228355A1

WO2019228355A1 - Steering column and vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2019228355A1
Application number: PCT/CN2019/088836
Authority: WO
Inventors: 张鹏; 罗成刚
Original assignee: 比亚迪股份有限公司
Priority date: 2018-05-31
Filing date: 2019-05-28
Publication date: 2019-12-05
Also published as: EP3798092A4; US20210213996A1; JP2021525671A; EP3798092B1; EP3798092A1; US11498603B2

Abstract

A steering column comprises a steering shaft (60), a fixed support (160), a first barrel (80), a second barrel (90), an angle adjustment motor (10), an angle adjustment screw and nut mechanism, a connecting rod mechanism, a height adjustment motor (110), and a height adjustment screw and nut mechanism. The second barrel (90) is disposed in the first barrel (80) and the first barrel (80) is sleeved thereon. The steering shaft (60) passes through the first barrel (80) and the second barrel (90), and comprises an upper shaft (61) and a lower shaft (62) connected by a spline. The upper shaft (61) is supported in the second barrel (90) by means of a first bearing (71), and the lower shaft (62) is supported in the first barrel (80) by means of a second bearing (72). The first barrel (80) is hinge-connected, around a first hinge-connecting axis (A-A), to the fixed support (160). The angle adjustment motor (10) drives, by means of the angle adjustment screw and nut mechanism and the connecting rod mechanism, the first barrel (80) to rotate relative to the fixed support (160), and the height adjustment motor (110) drives, by means of the height adjustment screw and nut mechanism, the second barrel (90) to move axially relative to the first barrel (80), thereby achieving precision adjustment of the tilt and the height of the steering barrel. Also disclosed is a vehicle comprising the steering barrel.

Description

Steering columns and vehicles

Cross-reference to related applications

This application is based on Chinese Patent Application Nos. 201810553426.8 and 201820840740.X, with an application date of May 31, 2018, and claims the priority of this Chinese patent application. The entire contents of this Chinese patent application are incorporated herein by reference Reference.

Technical field

The present disclosure relates to a car steering system, and in particular, to a steering column and a vehicle having the steering column.

Background technique

The utility model patent with the publication number of CN205706835U discloses an electric four-way adjusting steering column mechanism. This type of electric four-way adjustment steering column mechanism is relatively simple in structure, with poor adjustment displacement accuracy, poor reliability, and relatively large noise generated during the adjustment process. The core components such as the adjusting motor and controller are not compact enough and are easily damaged as a force lever. From the overall structure to the product's enforceability is poor, the quality of the steering column mechanism cannot be effectively guaranteed.

Summary of the Invention

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a steering column capable of simultaneously achieving height adjustment and angle adjustment, and the steering column has high adjustment accuracy.

To achieve the above object, the present disclosure provides a steering column including a steering shaft, a fixed bracket, a first cylinder, a second cylinder, an angle adjustment motor, an angle adjustment screw nut mechanism, a link mechanism, a height adjustment motor, A height adjusting screw nut mechanism, the second cylinder is disposed in the first cylinder and is slidably sleeved with the first cylinder, and the steering shaft is penetrated between the first cylinder and the first cylinder. A second cylinder, the steering shaft includes a splined upper shaft and a lower shaft, the upper shaft is supported in the second cylinder through a first bearing, and the lower shaft is supported in the second shaft through a second bearing In a first cylinder, the first cylinder is hinged on the fixed bracket around a first hinge axis, and the angle adjustment motor can drive the first cylinder through the angle adjustment screw nut mechanism and the link mechanism. A cylinder is rotated relative to the fixed bracket, and the height adjustment motor can drive the second cylinder to move axially relative to the first cylinder through the height adjustment screw nut mechanism.

In some embodiments, the angle adjustment screw nut mechanism includes an angle adjustment screw and an angle adjustment nut sleeved on the angle adjustment screw. The angle adjustment screw is connected to the angle adjustment motor. The angle adjusting nut is connected to the fixed bracket through the link mechanism, and one of the links in the link mechanism is hinged on the first cylinder about a second hinge axis, and the first hinge axis and the The second hinge axis is parallel.

In some embodiments, the axis of the angle adjustment screw is perpendicular to the first hinge axis.

In some embodiments, the steering column further includes an angle adjustment motor base, the angle adjustment motor is fixed on the angle adjustment motor base, and the angle adjustment motor base is hinged on the third hinge axis about On the first cylinder, the third hinge axis is parallel to the first hinge axis.

In some embodiments, the link mechanism includes a first link and a second link, and a first end of the first link is hinged on the angle adjustment nut about a fourth hinge axis, and the first The second end of the connecting rod is hinged to the first end of the second connecting rod, and the second end of the second connecting rod is hinged to the fixed bracket about a fifth hinge axis. The fourth hinge axis is parallel to the fifth hinge axis, and the first link is hinged on the first cylinder around the second hinge axis.

In some embodiments, the first link has a first hinge point connected to the angle adjusting nut, a second hinge point connected to the first cylinder, and a first hinge point connected to the second link. Three hinge points, a line between the first hinge point, the second hinge point, and the third hinge point is triangular.

In some embodiments, there are two link mechanisms, and the two link mechanisms are respectively disposed on two sides of the angle adjusting nut.

In some embodiments, the height-adjusting screw-nut mechanism includes a height-adjusting screw and a height-adjusting nut sleeved on the height-adjusting screw. The height-adjusting screw is connected to the height-adjusting motor. The height adjustment nut is connected to the second cylinder, and the axis of the height adjustment screw is parallel to the axis of the second cylinder.

In some embodiments, the steering column further includes a height adjustment motor base, the height adjustment motor is fixed on the height adjustment motor base, and the height adjustment motor base is fixed on the first column cylinder. on.

In the steering column of the present disclosure, the angle adjusting screw nut mechanism is used to convert the rotational movement of the angle adjusting motor into a linear movement of the angle adjusting nut, and the angle adjusting nut drives the first cylinder around the first hinge axis through the link mechanism Turn. The cooperation between the angle adjustment screw nut mechanism and the link mechanism can significantly improve the accuracy of angle adjustment and the reliability of movement during the adjustment. The height adjustment precision can be improved by using the height adjustment screw nut mechanism.

The present disclosure also provides a vehicle including a steering column as described above.

Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be described in detail in the detailed description section that follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure, and constitute a part of the description. Together with the following specific embodiments, the drawings are used to explain the present disclosure, but do not constitute a limitation on the present disclosure. In the drawings:

1 is a schematic perspective view of a steering column according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

2 and 3 are schematic perspective views of another aspect of a steering column according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

4 is an exploded schematic view of a steering column according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

5 is a schematic perspective view of a steering shaft in a steering column according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

6 is an assembly schematic view of an angle adjusting screw rod and an angle adjusting motor base in a steering column according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the angle adjusting motor base is shown in a sectional view in order to show the internal structure;

7 is an exploded view of an angle adjusting screw and an angle adjusting motor base in a steering column according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

8 is an exploded schematic view of an angle adjusting nut in a steering column according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

9 is a schematic perspective view of a screw pressing block in a steering column according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

10 is an assembly schematic view of a height adjustment screw and a height adjustment motor base in a steering column according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the height adjustment motor base is shown in a cross-sectional view in order to show the internal structure;

11 is an exploded schematic view of a height adjustment screw and a height adjustment motor base in a steering column according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

12 is an assembly schematic diagram of a height adjustment module in a steering column according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in which, in order to show an internal structure, a first column barrel is shown in a cross-sectional view;

13 is an exploded schematic view of a height adjustment module in a steering column according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

14 is a schematic perspective view of a sliding collar in a steering column according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

15 is a schematic perspective view of a sliding cylinder in a steering column according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

16 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a sliding cylinder in a steering column according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

17 is a schematic perspective view of a first cylinder in a steering column according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in which, to show the internal structure, the first cylinder is shown in a cross-sectional view;

18 is an exploded schematic view of a pressing mechanism in a steering column according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

19 is an assembly schematic diagram of a second column in a steering column according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in which, in order to show an internal structure, a sliding column is shown in a cross-sectional view;

20 is an exploded schematic view of a second column in a steering column according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

21 is a schematic perspective view of a sliding column cylinder in a steering column according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the sliding column cylinder is shown in a cross-sectional view in order to show the internal structure;

22 is a schematic perspective view of a collapse ring in a steering column according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Reference Signs

10 angle adjustment motor 20 angle adjustment motor base

21 Second limit step 22 Third limit step

30-Angle Adjustment Screws 31 First Limit Steps

32First pin hole: 40 angle adjusting nut

41 nut body 42 screw pressing block

43 Compression spring 44 compression nut

411 first threaded hole 412 second threaded hole

421 Small-diameter section 422 Large-diameter section

423 step surface 424 concavity

425 positioning protrusion 51 first thrust bearing

52 the second thrust bearing 53 the first lock nut

54First slotted nut 55 First slotted pin

56 the first load bearing 57 the second load bearing

58 The first limit retaining ring 60 steering shaft

61 upper axis 62 lower axis

71 the first bearing 72 the second bearing

80 the first cylinder barrel 801 chute

802 mounting lugs 803 ring-shaped mounting grooves

804 mounting hole 90 second cylinder

91 Sliding Columns 92 Collapse Columns

93 crush ring ring 911 second antifriction coating

912 connecting plate 913 annular positioning groove

931 bulge 100 sliding collars

101 first antifriction coating 110 height adjustment motor

120 height adjustment motor base 121 fifth limit step

122 Sixth limit step 130 height adjustment screw

131 Fourth limit step 132 second pin hole

140 height adjustment nut 151 third thrust bearing

152 the fourth thrust bearing 153 second lock nut

154 second slotted nut 155 second slotted pin

156 third load bearing 157 fourth load bearing

158 The second limit retaining ring 160 fixed bracket

171 the first connecting rod 172 the second connecting rod

180 adjustment controller 191 first wiring harness

192 second wiring harness 200 pressing mechanism

201 circlip spring 202 disc spring compacting plate

203 disc springs 204 gaskets

205 Tightening block 211 first fastener

212 second fastener

Detailed ways

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to illustrate and explain the disclosure, and are not intended to limit the disclosure.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, a steering column is provided, which includes a steering shaft 60, a fixed bracket 160, a first column cylinder 80, a second column cylinder 90, an angle adjustment motor 10, and an angle. Adjust the screw nut mechanism and the link mechanism.

The angle adjusting screw nut mechanism includes an angle adjusting screw 30 and an angle adjusting nut 40 sleeved on the angle adjusting screw 30. The fixing bracket 160 is used for fixing to the vehicle body. The first cylinder 80 is hinged to the fixing bracket 160 about the first hinge axis AA. The second cylinder 90 is slidably sleeved with the first cylinder 80. The steering shaft 60 is inserted through the first cylinder 80. A cylinder 80 and a second cylinder 90.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the steering shaft 60 includes an upper shaft 61 and a lower shaft 62 connected by a spline. The upper shaft 61 is supported in the second cylinder 90 through a first bearing 71, and the lower shaft 62 is connected through a second bearing. 72 is supported in the first column cylinder 80, the upper shaft 61 is used to connect the steering wheel, the lower shaft 62 is used to connect the drive shaft, and the angle adjustment motor 10 is used to drive the first column through the angle adjustment screw nut mechanism and the link mechanism in order. The cylinder 80 is rotated relative to the fixed bracket 160 to adjust an included angle between the first column cylinder 80 and the fixed bracket 160, thereby realizing an angle adjustment function of the steering column.

In the steering column of the present disclosure, the angle adjustment screw nut mechanism is used to convert the rotational movement of the angle adjustment motor 10 into a linear movement of the angle adjustment nut 40, and the angle adjustment nut 40 drives the first column cylinder 80 through the link mechanism. The first hinge axis AA rotates. The cooperation between the angle adjustment screw nut mechanism and the link mechanism can significantly improve the accuracy of angle adjustment and the reliability of movement during the adjustment.

Further, in an embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the angle adjustment motor 10 is mounted on the first cylinder 80, the angle adjustment screw 30 is connected to the angle adjustment motor 10, and the angle adjustment nut 40 is connected through the connection. The lever mechanism is connected to the fixed bracket 160. One of the links in the link mechanism is hinged on the first cylinder 80 about the second hinge axis BB, and the first hinge axis AA is parallel to the second hinge axis BB. In this way, on the one hand, the overall rigidity and reliability of the steering column can be improved, so that the first column cylinder 80 can be driven to rotate only when the angle adjustment motor 10 is started, and the first column cylinder 80 cannot be shaken by hand or by other external forces. On the other hand, it can improve the first-order natural mode of the steering column and reduce vibration.

In the present disclosure, the angle adjustment screw 30 may be arranged in any appropriate direction. In one embodiment, the axis of the angle adjusting screw 30 may be perpendicular to the first hinge axis A-A, so as to facilitate the transmission of motion.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the first cylinder 80 may be located between the angle-adjusting screw nut mechanism and the fixing bracket 160 to make the structure of the steering column more compact.

In order to improve the accuracy of the angle adjustment and reduce the driving force required for the angle adjustment, in one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, one end of the first cylinder 80 is hinged on the fixed bracket 160, and the connecting rod One link in the mechanism is hinged on the other end of the first cylinder 80.

In order to facilitate the installation of the angle adjustment motor 10 on the first cylinder 80, in one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the steering column may further include an angle adjustment motor base 20, and the angle adjustment motor 10 is fixed. At one end of the angle adjustment motor base 20, the angle adjustment motor base 20 is mounted on the first cylinder 80. As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the angle adjusting screw 30 is threaded through the angle adjusting motor base 20. The angle adjusting screw 30 is supported in the angle adjusting motor base 20 through the first load bearing 56 and the second load bearing 57. One end of the angle adjustment screw 30 extends out of the angle adjustment motor base 20 and is splined to the angle adjustment motor 10. The other end of the angle adjustment screw 30 extends out of the angle adjustment motor base 20 and is threadedly matched with the angle adjustment nut 40 . The first load bearing 56 and the second load bearing 57 make the angle adjusting screw 30 unable to move in the radial direction.

In this case, there may be an axial gap between the angle adjustment screw 30 and the angle adjustment motor base 20, and this gap may cause the following problems: 1. The angle adjustment screw 30 will generate abnormal noise when it rotates; 2. Angle There is a deviation between the expected position and the actual position of the adjusting nut 40; third, the steering wheel shakes.

In order to eliminate the axial gap between the angle adjustment screw 30 and the angle adjustment motor base 20 so that the angle adjustment screw 30 cannot move in the axial direction, in one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, A first thrust bearing 51 is arranged on the angle adjusting screw 30, and the steering column further includes a first axial pressing mechanism, which applies a force to the angle adjusting screw 30 to make the angle adjusting screw 30 and the angle-adjusting motor base 20 are pressed in the axial direction by a first thrust bearing 51. In some embodiments, a first limit step 31 is formed on the angle adjustment screw 30, a second limit step 21 is formed on the inner wall of the angle adjustment motor base 20, and two sides of the first thrust bearing 51 are abutted respectively At the first limit step 31 and the second limit step 21.

The first axial pressing mechanism may have any appropriate structure, for example, it may include a pressing spring provided between the angle adjusting motor base 20 and the angle adjusting screw 30 and applying the same to the angle adjusting screw 30. The elastic force in the axial direction causes the first thrust bearing 51 to be clamped by the angle adjusting screw 30 and the angle adjusting motor base 20.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the first axial pressing mechanism includes a second thrust bearing 52 and a first lock nut 53, and the second thrust bearing are arranged on the angle adjusting screw 30. 52 is located between the first thrust bearing 51 and the first lock nut 53, a third limit step 22 is also formed on the inner wall of the angle adjustment motor base 20, and both sides of the second thrust bearing 52 abut against the third The limiting step 22 and the first lock nut 53, the first thrust bearing 51 and the second thrust bearing 52 are located between the first limiting step 31 and the first lock nut 53.

Here, the first thrust bearing 51 and the second thrust bearing 52 can both bear an axial force and can rotate about an axis. The first lock nut 53 and the angle adjusting screw 30 are screwed together. When the first lock nut 53 is tightened, the distance between the first limit step 31 on the angle adjustment screw 30 and the first lock nut 53 will gradually decrease; when the first lock nut 53 is further tightened, the first A gap between a limiting step 31 and the first thrust bearing 51, a gap between the first thrust bearing 51 and the second limiting step 21, a gap between the third limiting step 22 and the second thrust bearing 52, The gap between the second thrust bearing 52 and the first lock nut 53 is reduced to a minimum, that is, there is no gap.

In order to prevent the first lock nut 53 from loosening due to the rotation of the angle adjustment screw 30, further, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the first axial pressing mechanism further includes an arrangement on the angle adjustment screw 30. The first slotted nut 54 and the first split pin 55, the side of the first lock nut 53 facing away from the second thrust bearing 52 is fixed by the first slotted nut 54, and the first slotted nut 54 is passed through the first split pin 55 fixed. After the first lock nut 53 is tightened, tighten the first slotted nut 54 and pass the first split pin 55 through the first slotted nut 54 and insert into the first pin hole 32 reserved on the angle adjusting screw 30 . The first slotted nut 54 is not loosened because it is blocked by the first split pin 55. Similarly, the first lock nut 53 is not loosened because it is blocked by the first slotted nut 54.

The first load bearing 56 and the second load bearing 57 may be arranged at any appropriate positions. In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the first load bearing 56 is located between the first thrust bearing 51 and the second thrust bearing 52, and the second thrust bearing 52, the first lock nut 53, and the first A slotted nut 54 is located between the first load bearing 56 and the second load bearing 57. The side of the second bearing bearing 57 facing the first bearing bearing 56 can be fixed by a first stop ring 58. The first stop ring 58 is installed on the inner wall of the angle adjustment motor base 20. The second load bearing 57 The side facing away from the first load bearing 56 can be limited by the angle adjustment motor 10.

In order to increase the degree of freedom of movement of the angle adjustment motor 10 and make the movement more smoothly, in one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the angle adjustment motor base 20 is hinged on the first post about the third hinge axis CC. On the cylinder 80, the third hinge axis CC is parallel to the first hinge axis AA.

In order to facilitate the installation of the angle adjustment motor base 20, in one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, a mounting lug 802 is formed on the first cylinder 80, and the angle adjustment motor base 20 is hinged about a third hinge axis CC On the mounting lug 802, the mounting lug 802 is located between the two ends of the first cylinder 80 along the axial direction of the first cylinder 80, so that the angle adjustment motor 10 and the angle adjustment motor base 20 Being located between the two ends of the first cylinder 80 makes the steering column structure more compact.

After a long time movement of the angle adjustment nut 40 on the angle adjustment screw 30, a certain amount of wear will occur, resulting in a gap between the angle adjustment nut 40 and the angle adjustment screw 30. The gap on the one hand will cause the angle adjustment nut 40 to vibrate. On the other hand, it will cause the driver to feel empty when holding the steering wheel, causing the steering wheel to shake.

In order to eliminate or reduce the gap between the angle adjustment nut 40 and the angle adjustment screw 30, in one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the angle adjustment screw nut mechanism includes the angle adjustment screw 30 and radial compression. Mechanism, the nut body 41 is screwed with the angle adjusting screw 30, and the radial pressing mechanism applies a radial force along the angle adjusting screw 30 to the angle adjusting screw 30 and / or the nut body 41 to press the nut body 41 tightly On the angle adjusting screw 30.

In one embodiment, one end of the radial pressing mechanism is connected to the nut body 41, and the other end acts on the angle adjusting screw 30. In this case, the radial pressing mechanism applies a force in the opposite direction to the nut body 41 and the angle adjusting screw 30, so that the nut body 41 and the angle adjusting screw 30 are pressed in the radial direction.

The radial pressing mechanism may have any appropriate structure. In one embodiment, the radial pressing mechanism includes a screw pressing block 42, a pressing spring 43, and a pressing nut 44. The nut body 41 is formed with a first threaded hole 411 that cooperates with the angle adjusting screw 30 and A second threaded hole 412 that cooperates with the compression nut 44. The first threaded hole 411 communicates with the second threaded hole 412. The compression spring 43 is disposed between the compression nut 44 and the screw compression block 42 and presses the screw to the screw. The tightening block 42 applies an elastic force so that the screw pressing block 42 is pressed against the side of the angle adjusting screw 30.

When the compression nut 44 is rotated in the direction of compressing the compression spring 43, the elastic force of the compression spring 43 is transmitted to the angle adjustment screw 30 through the screw pressing block 42, so that the angle adjustment screw 30 and the angle The gap between the adjusting nuts 40 becomes smaller or fits without a gap.

In order to better realize the pressing function, in one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the screw pressing block 42 has a concave surface 424 adapted to the threaded cylinder surface of the angle adjusting screw 30, and the screw pressing block 42 The concave surface 424 is pressed against the threaded cylindrical surface of the angle adjusting screw 30.

The screw pressing block 42 may have any suitable structure. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the screw pressing block 42 has a coaxial small-diameter portion 421 and a large-diameter portion 422, and a stepped surface 423 is formed between the small-diameter portion 421 and the large-diameter portion 422, and is pressed. The spring 43 is sleeved on the small-diameter portion 421. One end of the compression spring 43 is in contact with the stepped surface 423, and the other end is in contact with the inside of the compression nut 44. .

In order to ensure that the concave surface 424 of the screw pressing block 42 is matched with the side of the angle adjusting screw 30 after the assembly of the screw pressing block 42 is completed, in one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, a side of the screw pressing block 42 is formed. The positioning protrusion 425 is formed with a positioning groove matching the positioning protrusion 425 in the nut body 41. During the process of installing the screw pressing block 42 into the nut body 41, the positioning protrusion 425 on the side of the screw pressing block 42 is inserted into the positioning groove in the nut body 41, so that the screw pressing block 42 cannot rotate. Realize assembly error prevention.

In order to transmit the elastic force of the compression spring 43 to the angle adjusting screw 30 more effectively, in an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the axis of the first threaded hole 411 is positive to the axis of the second threaded hole 412. cross. In other possible implementations, the axis of the first threaded hole 411 and the axis of the second threaded hole 412 may intersect but are not perpendicular.

The link mechanism may include any number of links, such as two or more. In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, the link mechanism includes a first link 171 and a second link 172, and the first end of the first link 171 is hinged at an angle about the fourth hinge axis DD. On the adjusting nut 40, the second end of the first link 171 is hinged to the first end of the second link 172 about the sixth hinge axis FF, and the second end of the second link 172 is hinged to the fifth link axis EE to be fixed. On the bracket 160, the first hinge axis AA, the fourth hinge axis DD, the fifth hinge axis EE, and the sixth hinge axis FF are parallel.

In one embodiment, the first link 171 is hinged on the first cylinder 80 about the second hinge axis B-B, so as to drive the first cylinder 80 to rotate through the first link 171. In this case, the second link 172 forms a support for the first link 171 to ensure movement stability during the angle adjustment process.

In the above embodiment, the first link 171 has a first hinge point connected to the angle adjusting nut 40, a second hinge point connected to the first cylinder 80, and a third hinge point connected to the second link 172. In order to ensure the movement flexibility of the link mechanism, in an embodiment, the connection line between the first hinge point, the second hinge point, and the third hinge point may be triangular. Further, the first link 171 may be formed as a fork-shaped plate, the second hinge point is located at the middle of the fork-shaped plate, and the first hinge point and the third hinge point are located at both ends of the fork-shaped plate.

In order to further improve the motion stability during the angle adjustment process, in one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, the steering column includes two link mechanisms, and the two link mechanisms are respectively disposed on the angle adjustment nut. On both sides of 40, the first cylinder 80 is located between the two link mechanisms, and the angle adjusting nut 40 is connected to the fixed bracket 160 through the two link mechanisms.

In the present disclosure, the first cylinder 80 and the second cylinder 90 are slidingly sleeved. When the second cylinder 90 is extended, the steering shaft 60 is extended, thereby raising the steering wheel. When the second cylinder 90 is retracted, At this time, the steering shaft 60 is shortened, thereby lowering the steering wheel.

In order to facilitate the adjustment of the height of the steering wheel, in one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, the steering column may further include a height adjustment motor 110 and a height adjustment screw nut mechanism. The height adjustment motor 110 is installed in the first On the cylinder 80, the height adjustment motor 110 is used to drive the second cylinder 90 to move axially relative to the first cylinder 80 through a height adjustment screw nut mechanism.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the height-adjusting screw nut mechanism includes a height-adjusting screw 130 and a height-adjusting nut 140 sleeved on the height-adjusting screw 130. The height-adjusting screw 130 and the height The adjusting motor 110 is connected, the height adjusting nut 140 is fixed to the second cylinder 90, and the axis of the height adjusting screw 130 is parallel to the axis of the second cylinder 90. When the height adjustment motor 110 is started, the height adjustment screw rod 130 rotates, and the height adjustment nut 140 moves axially along the height adjustment screw rod 130, thereby driving the second cylinder 90 to extend or retract.

In order to facilitate fixing the height adjusting nut 140 to the second cylinder 90, in one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, a connecting plate 912 is provided on the second cylinder 90, and a first cylinder 80 is provided along the first cylinder 80. An axially extending sliding groove 801 of a cylinder 80 is connected with the connecting plate 912 and the height adjusting nut 140 is fixed on the connecting plate 912 through the second fastener 212.

In order to facilitate the installation of the height adjustment motor 110 on the first cylinder 80, in an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the steering column further includes a height adjustment motor base 120, and the height adjustment motor 110 is fixed to the height adjustment motor. On the base 120, the height-adjusting motor base 120 is fixed on the first cylinder 80 by a first fastener 211. In order to make the steering column structure more compact, in one embodiment, the height adjustment motor base 120 is located between two ends of the first column cylinder 80 along the axial direction of the first column cylinder 80.

As shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, the height-adjusting screw rod 130 is passed through the height-adjusting motor base 120. The height-adjusting screw rod 130 is supported in the height-adjusting motor base 120 through the third load bearing 156 and the fourth load bearing 157. One end of the height adjustment screw 130 extends out of the height adjustment motor base 120 and is splined to the height adjustment motor 110, and the other end of the height adjustment screw 130 extends out of the height adjustment motor base 120 and cooperates with the height adjustment nut 140. The third load bearing 156 and the fourth load bearing 157 make the height adjustment screw 130 unable to move in the radial direction.

In this case, there may be an axial gap between the height-adjusting screw 130 and the height-adjusting motor base 120, and the gap may cause the following problems: one, abnormal noise may occur when the height-adjusting screw 130 rotates; two, height There is a deviation between the expected position and the actual position of the adjustment nut 140.

In order to eliminate the axial gap between the height adjustment screw 130 and the height adjustment motor base 120, so that the height adjustment screw 130 cannot move in the axial direction, in one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, A third thrust bearing 151 is arranged on the height adjusting screw 130, and the steering column further includes a second axial pressing mechanism, which applies a force to the height adjusting screw 130 to make the height adjusting screw 130 and the height-adjusting motor base 120 are pressed in the axial direction by a third thrust bearing 151. In some embodiments, a fourth limiting step 131 is formed on the height adjusting screw 130, a fifth limiting step 121 is formed on the inner wall of the height adjusting motor base 120, and both sides of the third thrust bearing 151 are in contact with each other At the fourth limit step 131 and the fifth limit step 121.

The second axial pressing mechanism may have any appropriate structure, for example, it may include a pressing spring provided between the height-adjusting motor base 120 and the height-adjusting screw 130 and applying the same to the height-adjusting screw 130. The elastic force in the axial direction causes the third thrust bearing 151 to be clamped by the height adjusting screw 130 and the height adjusting motor base 120.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the second axial pressing mechanism includes a fourth thrust bearing 152 and a second lock nut 153, which are disposed on the height adjustment screw 130. 152 is located between the third thrust bearing 151 and the second lock nut 153. A sixth limit step 122 is also formed on the inner wall of the height-adjusting motor base 120, and both sides of the fourth thrust bearing 152 abut against the sixth The limiting step 122 and the second lock nut 153 are located between the fourth limiting step 131 and the second lock nut 153.

Here, the third thrust bearing 151 and the fourth thrust bearing 152 can both bear the axial force and can rotate about the axis. The second lock nut 153 and the height-adjusting screw rod 130 are screwed together. When the second lock nut 153 is tightened, the distance between the fourth limit step 131 on the height adjustment screw 130 and the second lock nut 153 will gradually decrease; when the second lock nut 153 is continuously tightened, the first The gap between the four limit steps 131 and the third thrust bearing 151, the gap between the third thrust bearing 151 and the fifth limit step 121, the gap between the sixth limit step 122 and the fourth thrust bearing 152, The gap between the fourth thrust bearing 152 and the second lock nut 153 is reduced to a minimum, that is, there is no gap.

In order to prevent the second lock nut 153 from loosening due to the rotation of the height adjustment screw rod 130, further, as shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, the second axial pressing mechanism further includes an arrangement on the height adjustment screw rod 130. The second slotted nut 154 and the second split pin 155, the side of the second lock nut 153 facing away from the fourth thrust bearing 152 is fixed by the second slotted nut 154, and the second slotted nut 154 is fixed by the second split pin 155 fixed. After the second lock nut 153 is tightened, tighten the second slotted nut 154 and pass the second slotted pin 155 through the second slotted nut 154 and insert it into the second pin hole 132 reserved on the height adjustment screw 130 . The second slotted nut 154 does not become loose because it is blocked by the second split pin 155. Similarly, the second lock nut 153 is not loosened because it is blocked by the second slotted nut 154.

The third load bearing 156 and the fourth load bearing 157 may be arranged at any appropriate positions. In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the third load bearing 156 is located between the third thrust bearing 151 and the fourth thrust bearing 152, and the fourth thrust bearing 152, the second lock nut 153, and the first The two slotted nuts 154 are located between the third bearing bearing 156 and the fourth bearing bearing 157. The side of the fourth load bearing 157 facing the third load bearing 156 can be fixed by the second limit retaining ring 158. The second limit retainer 158 is installed on the inner wall of the height-adjusting motor base 120. The fourth load bearing 157 The side facing away from the third load bearing 156 can be limited by the height adjustment motor 110.

During the height adjustment process, relative sliding occurs between the first cylinder 80 and the second cylinder 90, and due to the influence of the coefficient of friction between the parts, the relative sliding between the two inevitably generates noise. In order to reduce the noise during the height adjustment process, in one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 12 to 16, the first cylinder 80 and the second cylinder 90 can be slidably connected by the sliding collar 100, and the sliding collar 100 is installed in the first cylinder 80 and sleeved on the second cylinder 90. The relative position of the sliding collar 100 and the first cylinder 80 is fixed. The inner wall of the sliding collar 100 is coated with a first antifriction coating. The outer wall of the layer 101 and the second cylinder 90 is coated with a second antifriction coating 911. When the height adjustment motor 110 works, the height adjustment nut 140 moves on the height adjustment screw rod 130 to drive the second column cylinder 90 to slide inside the first column cylinder 80, thereby realizing the height adjustment function of the steering column.

By coating the first friction reducing coating 101 on the inner wall of the sliding collar 100 and the second friction reducing coating 911 on the outer wall of the second cylinder 90, the sliding collar 100 and the second cylinder can be reduced. The friction coefficient between 90 can reduce the noise generated when the two slide relative to each other.

Here, the first anti-friction coating 101 and the second anti-friction coating 911 may be any appropriate anti-friction materials. For example, it may be selected from one or more of the group consisting of polyamide, polyoxymethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene.

In order to improve the adhesion rate of the friction reducing material, in one embodiment, the first friction reducing coating 101 may contain a copper mesh.

The sliding collar 100 can be installed in the first cylinder 80 by any suitable method, such as welding or riveting with the first cylinder 80. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17, an inner wall of the first cylinder 80 is formed with an annular mounting groove 803, and the sliding collar 100 is embedded in the annular mounting groove 803.

In order to stably support the second cylinder 90 in the first cylinder 80 and prevent the second cylinder 90 from shaking in the first cylinder 80, in one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, There are two sliding collars 100, and the two sliding collars 100 are spaced apart along the axial direction of the first cylinder 80.

The second cylinder 90 may be a single part or an assembly composed of multiple parts, which is not limited in the present disclosure.

In order to improve the collision safety of the steering column, in one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 19 to 22, the second column 90 includes a sliding column 91 and a collapse column 92 that are nested with each other.

In this case, the upper shaft 61 of the steering shaft 60 is supported in the collapsed cylinder 92 through the first bearing 71, and the lower shaft 62 of the steering shaft 60 is supported in the first cylinder 80 through the second bearing 72, and the height is adjusted The nut 140 is connected to the sliding cylinder 91, the sliding collar 100 is sleeved on the sliding cylinder 91, the connection plate 912 is disposed on the sliding cylinder 91, and the second antifriction coating 911 is disposed on the outer wall of the sliding cylinder 91. During assembly, the crushing cylinder 92 is pushed into the sliding cylinder 91 from one end of the sliding cylinder 91, and the magnitude of the pressing force is simultaneously monitored during the press-fitting process. The monitored pressing force after the assembly is in place is It is the collapsing force when collapsing.

Under normal circumstances, the collapsing cylinder 92 and the sliding cylinder 91 are fixed together without relative movement. When the height adjustment motor 110 works, the second cylinder 90 as a whole moves axially relative to the first cylinder 80. When the vehicle has a frontal collision, the sliding cylinder 91 does not move, and the colliding force causes the collapsing cylinder 92 to move axially inside the sliding cylinder 91. During the movement, the collapsing cylinder 92 generates a collapse deformation, thereby absorbing collision energy. Reduces damage to the driver.

In order to facilitate the control of the collapse deformation of the collapsed cylinder 92, in an embodiment, the second cylinder 90 further includes a collapsed ring 93, the collapsed ring 93 is installed in the sliding cylinder 91, and the collapsed ring 93 is sleeved It is on the collapsed cylinder 92 and press-fits with the collapsed cylinder 92. When assembling, the crushing ring 93 is first installed at a predetermined installation position in the sliding cylinder 91. After the installation is completed, the crushing ring 93 cannot be moved in the sliding cylinder 91. Then, the crushing cylinder 92 is removed from the sliding cylinder 91. One end of 91 is press-fitted into the sliding cylinder 91, and the size of the press-in force is monitored during the press-fitting process. The monitored press-in force after the assembly is in place is the collapsing force during the collapse. When the vehicle has a frontal collision, the sliding cylinder 91 does not move, the collision force causes the collapsed cylinder 92 to move axially inside the sliding cylinder 91, and the surface of the collapsed cylinder 92 is scratched by the collapse ring 93 during the movement. Produces collapse deformation, which absorbs collision energy and reduces damage to the driver.

In order to increase the crushing effect, in one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 22, a plurality of protrusions 931 protruding inward are formed on the crushing ring 93, and the crushing cylinder 92 is axial with respect to the sliding cylinder 91. During the movement, the protrusion 931 on the crushing ring 93 forms a scratch on the surface of the crushing cylinder 92, so that the crushing cylinder 92 is deformed. The size of the crushing force can be changed by adjusting the number of protrusions and the height of the protrusions on the crushing ring 93 until the design requirements are met. Since the crushing ring 93 is a component that directly affects the crushing force, when the size and characteristics of the crushing ring 93 are shaped, the size of the crushing force is basically determined. Therefore, using this method can make the crushing force The consistency is very high.

In order to ensure that the crushing ring 93 can scratch the surface of the crushing cylinder 92, the material hardness of the crushing ring 93 may be greater than the material hardness of the crushing cylinder 92.

The crushing ring 93 can be installed in the sliding cylinder 91 by any suitable method, such as welding or riveting with the sliding cylinder 91. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 21, an annular positioning groove 913 is formed on the inner wall of the sliding cylinder 91, and the collapse ring 93 is embedded in the annular positioning groove 913.

In order to increase the crushing effect and prevent the crushing cylinder 92 from shaking in the sliding cylinder 91, in one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, there are two crushing rings 93 and two crushing rings. 93 is spaced along the axial direction of the sliding cylinder 91.

In order to eliminate the gap between the sliding cylinder 91 and the sliding collar 100 and reduce sloshing, in one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, a pressing mechanism 200 is provided on the first cylinder 80, and the pressing mechanism 200 applies a radial force to the side of the sliding cylinder 91 to press the sliding cylinder 91 against the sliding collar 100.

Further, as shown in FIG. 17 and FIG. 18, a side wall of the first cylinder 80 is provided with a mounting hole 804, and a pressing mechanism 200 is disposed in the mounting hole 804. The pressing mechanism 200 includes a clamping spring 201 that is sequentially stacked. , Disc spring pressing piece 202, a plurality of disc springs 203, a gasket 204, and a pressing block 205, a clamping spring 201 is engaged with the inner wall of the mounting hole 804, and a plurality of disc springs 203 are arranged in a stack and are compressed on the disc Between the spring pressing piece 202 and the washer 204, the pressing block 205 abuts the side of the sliding cylinder 91. The elastic force of the disc spring 203 is transmitted to the sliding cylinder 91 via the pressing block 205, and the sliding cylinder 91 and the sliding collar 100 are compressed.

In addition to the components described above, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the steering column of the present disclosure may further include an adjustment controller 180. The adjustment controller 180 is mounted on the first column cylinder 80. A wire harness 191 is connected to the angle adjustment motor 10, and an adjustment controller 180 is connected to the height adjustment motor 110 through a second wire harness 192.

In order to make the overall structure of the steering column more compact and occupy less space, in one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, the adjustment controller 180 is located along the axial direction of the first column 80. Between the two ends of 80, a fixed bracket 160, an angle adjustment screw nut mechanism, a height adjustment screw nut mechanism, and an adjustment controller 180 are distributed around the first cylinder 80, that is, the fixed bracket 160, the angle The adjustment screw nut mechanism, the height adjustment screw nut mechanism, and the adjustment controller 180 surround the first cylinder 80.

The following briefly describes the working process of angle adjustment and height adjustment of the steering column according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

After receiving the angle adjustment signal, the adjustment controller 180 drives the internal circuit and sends the drive signal to the angle adjustment motor 10 through the first wire harness 191. The angle adjustment motor 10 starts to rotate after receiving the drive signal. After the angle adjustment motor 10 rotates, it transmits the torque generated by itself to the angle adjustment screw 30, so that the angle adjustment screw 30 also rotates. Between the angle adjustment screw 30 and the angle adjustment nut 40 is a screw nut pair. When the angle adjustment screw 30 rotates, the angle adjustment nut 40 moves along the axis of the angle adjustment screw 30. When the angle adjusting nut 40 moves along the angle adjusting screw 30, it also drives the first link 171 to rotate. The rotation of the first link 171 will cause the second link 172 to rotate about the fifth hinge axis EE, and at the same time, the first link 171 will rotate. A cylinder 80 rotates around the first hinge axis AA, thereby realizing the angle adjustment function of the steering column.

After receiving the height adjustment signal, the adjustment controller 180 drives the internal circuit and sends the driving signal to the height adjustment motor 110 through the second wire harness 192. The height adjustment motor 110 starts to rotate after receiving the driving signal. After the height adjustment motor 110 is rotated, the torque generated by itself is transmitted to the height adjustment screw 130, so that the height adjustment screw 130 is also rotated. Between the height adjustment screw 130 and the height adjustment nut 140 is a screw nut pair. When the height adjustment screw 130 rotates, the height adjustment nut 140 moves along the axis of the height adjustment screw 130. The height adjustment nut 140 is fixedly connected to the second column cylinder 90. When the height adjustment nut 140 moves, the second column cylinder 90 also moves along with it, thereby realizing the height adjustment function of the steering column.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle including the steering column as described above.

The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific details in the above embodiments. Within the scope of the technical concept of the present disclosure, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solutions of the present disclosure. These simple variations all belong to the protection scope of the present disclosure.

In addition, it should be noted that the specific technical features described in the foregoing specific embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without conflict. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, various possible combinations are not described in this disclosure.

In addition, various embodiments of the present disclosure can also be arbitrarily combined, as long as it does not violate the idea of the present disclosure, it should also be regarded as the content disclosed in the present disclosure.

Claims

A steering column includes a steering shaft (60), a fixed bracket (160), a first cylinder (80), a second cylinder (90), an angle adjustment motor (10), and an angle adjustment screw. A nut mechanism, a link mechanism, a height adjustment motor (110), and a height adjustment screw nut mechanism, the second cylinder (90) is disposed in the first cylinder (80) and is in line with the first cylinder (80) a sliding socket, the steering shaft (60) is threaded through the first cylinder (80) and the second cylinder (90), and the steering shaft (60) includes a splined upper A shaft (61) and a lower shaft (62), the upper shaft (61) is supported in the second cylinder (90) by a first bearing (71), and the lower shaft (62) is supported by a second bearing ( 72) Supported in the first cylinder (80), the first cylinder (80) is hinged on the fixed bracket (160) about a first hinge axis (AA), the angle adjustment motor (10) ) The first cylinder (80) can be driven to rotate relative to the fixed bracket (160) through the angle adjustment screw nut mechanism and the link mechanism, and the height adjustment motor (110) can pass through the The height adjustment screw nut mechanism drives the second cylinder (90 ) Moves axially relative to the first cylinder (80).
The steering column according to claim 1, wherein the angle adjustment screw nut mechanism comprises an angle adjustment screw (30) and an angle adjustment nut (30) sleeved on the angle adjustment screw (30) 40), the angle adjustment screw (30) is connected to the angle adjustment motor (10), the angle adjustment nut (40) is connected to the fixed bracket (160) through the link mechanism, and the connection A link in the lever mechanism is hinged on the first cylinder (80) about a second hinge axis (BB), and the first hinge axis (AA) is parallel to the second hinge axis (BB).
The steering column according to claim 2, wherein the axis of the angle adjusting screw (30) is perpendicular to the first hinge axis (A-A).
The steering column according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the steering column further comprises an angle adjustment motor base (20), and the angle adjustment motor (10) is fixed to the angle adjustment motor base (20), the angle-adjusting motor base (20) is hinged on the first cylinder (80) about a third hinge axis (CC), and the third hinge axis (CC) and the first hinge axis (CC) The articulation axis (AA) is parallel.
The steering column according to any one of claims 2-4, wherein the link mechanism includes a first link (171) and a second link (172), and the first link ( The first end of the first link (171) is hinged on the angle adjusting nut (40) about the fourth hinge axis (DD), and the second end of the first link (171) is hinged about the sixth hinge axis (FF). The first end of the second link (172), the second end of the second link (172) is hinged on the fixed bracket (160) about a fifth hinge axis (EE), and the first hinge The axis (AA), the fourth hinge axis (DD), the fifth hinge axis (EE), and the sixth hinge axis (FF) are parallel, and the first link (171) surrounds the second A hinge axis (BB) is hinged on the first cylinder (80).
The steering column according to claim 5, wherein the first link (171) has a first hinge point connected to the angle adjusting nut (40), and the first column cylinder (80) ) Connected second hinge points, a third hinge point connected to the second link (172), a line between the first hinge point, the second hinge point, and the third hinge point Triangular.
The steering column according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that there are two link mechanisms, and the two link mechanisms are respectively disposed on two sides of the angle adjusting nut (40). side.
The steering column according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the height adjusting screw nut mechanism comprises a height adjusting screw (130) and a sleeve (130) sleeved on the height adjusting screw The height adjustment nut (140) on the upper side, the height adjustment screw (130) is connected to the height adjustment motor (110), the height adjustment nut (140) is connected to the second cylinder (90), so The axis of the height adjustment screw (130) is parallel to the axis of the second cylinder (90).
The steering column according to claim 8, wherein the steering column further comprises a height adjustment motor base (120), and the height adjustment motor (110) is fixed to the height adjustment motor base (120) ), The height-adjusting motor base (120) is fixed on the first cylinder (80).
A vehicle, comprising a steering column according to any one of claims 1-9.